Bob Greczyn, the former CEO of Blue Cross, has a new career: owning and operating a Mellow Mushroom franchise in Cary.

The Cary outpost of the popular Southeast pizza chain was to open Monday. It is at 4300 NW Cary Parkway, near the intersection with High House Road.

Greczyn, who is opening the restaurant with his 24-year-old son, Will, is a big fan. "I love the concept and the brand," he said. They expect to be open for lunch and dinner daily, starting at 11 a.m. to about midnight.

What's different about the Cary location is the interior artwork; it's all on the ceiling. It's "mellowy" versions of works of the masters, Greczyn said. The restaurant also will have a private lounge that has been named the Red Room.

Flextronics to lay off 83

From staff reports

Contract manufacturer Flextronics plans to lay off 83 workers at its facilities in North Carolina over the next several months.

The company filed a notice Friday with the N.C. Department of Commerce under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The notice does not say where the layoffs are taking place, only that they will occur at numerous locations. Flextronics officials did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

The company operates facilities in Creedmoor, Morrisville and Charlotte. The Creedmoor factory, about 30 miles north of Raleigh, assembles Redbox DVD kiosks.

In its notice, Flextronics said the layoffs were the result of "ongoing integration activities and the strategic realignment of capabilities to meet current business requirements."

Flextronics makes electronic components for a wide range of companies.

Contract manufacturers in recent years have closed a number of U.S. factories, including in the Triangle, and moved production to the Far East. Flextronics said the layoffs may occur in phases with the first set of employees being let go earlier this month. The layoffs are expected to be completed by mid-January.

SAS founders slip on Forbes list

From staff reports

Jim Goodnight, CEO and co-founder of Cary business software firm SAS, slipped three spots to No. 38 in the latest iteration of Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans.

Goodnight, 68, by far the richest person in North Carolina, saw his ranking slip from No. 35 even though his net worth rose from $6.9 billion in March to $7.1 billion in the latest list. Goodnight's net worth was estimated at $8.7 billion in 2008 but fell in the wake of the recession.

SAS co-founder John Sall saw his ranking slip one spot, to No. 91. His fortune also rose, from $3.4 billion in March to $3.5 billion.

One other North Carolinian made the list: C.D. "Dick" Spangler of Charlotte, ranked No. 273 with a fortune estimated at $1.6 billion.

A 'safest driving' designation

From staff reports

Cary ranked as one of the safest driving cities, landing at No. 21 on Allstate Insurance Co.mpany's seventh annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report." The report ranks America's 200 largest cities by car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers according to Allstate data. According to the report, the average driver in Cary will experience an auto collision every 11.4 years. Cary slid down two slots, ranking 19th last year.